A Cote
(510) 655-6469
5478 College Ave
Oakland,
CA
94618
37.842
-122.2513
Neighborhood: Rockridge
Reviews & Ratings for A Cote
29 reviews
What users are saying:
Showing 1-10 of 29 reviews
A Mediterranean small-plates restaurant with big personality.
by Contributor
December 06, 2007
In Short
One part seasonal small plates, one part extensive wine list and two parts boisterous chatter make a festive A Cote cocktail. Digging into shared servings of pomegranate chicken and apple tart, diners have to shout at each other over the constant clinking of glasses and clicking of forks. Still, they linger for hours in private nooks, at communal tables and on the heated patio, filling the warmly-lit restaurant with lively noise into the night.
Disrepectful Manager. Terrible Service!
by farideh
July 12, 2007
i was overcharged by $428.00 and the restaurant mgr. whose name is Jeff told me that it was my problem and that I had to take it up with my bank myself. then he accused me of slander for saying that the restaurant had overcharged me. i sent him my bank statement to prove that there was in fact an overcharge of $428 but he did not care and hung up the phone on me. i cant believe that someone in hospitality would behave in this ill and disrespectful manner.
TERRIBLE time at A Cote
by vjmehta
April 10, 2007
We went to A Cote last night hoping to celebrate my wife's promotion in style. Instead, we were treated to a never-ending disaster. To begin with, we had to ask for water three times before our waitress bothered to bring us some. We asked for a full, rich red wine to go with our food, and the wine she recommended was about as light as red wines come, and I had to fish out a small piece of cork floating in my glass. The pace of the meal was downright bizarre, with a half-hour plus gap between two of our appetizers. Several things we ordered never arrived at all, though our waitress seemed indifferent to this, shrugging and smiling. The quality of the food was generally good, but many items were not described correctly. All in all, a terrible and disappointing experience. If you want small plates, go to Cesar on Piedmont or Pizzaiolo instead!!
Overpriced, overseasoned, overhyped.
by ckyelland
March 25, 2007
I've been to A Cote a few times, and have desperately hoped for a better experience each time, but frankly I just give up. The cocktails and atmosphere are nice (the cucumber cocktail is heavenly), and the curtained back patio has the potential to be a romantic summertime treat, but this in no way makes up for the neglectful service, mediocre to below-average plates, and inflated Rockridge price tag attached to the whole experience.
- Pros: Ambiance, inventive cocktails
- Cons: Overpriced, mediocre to below-average food, neglectful service
attentive, knowledgable service, wonderful flatbread, perfect carrot soup and moroccan meatballs
by ngouabi
March 11, 2007
This french tapas restaurant is fantastic--great food, great service, interesting and confusing wine list, a bit noisy, but amazing food, especially the mussels with pernod and shallots
- Pros: food, ambience, service
- Cons: noise
good drinks & snacks
by julia13
November 25, 2006
Very good drinks 10, food is tasty 9, atmosphere is perfect 10+
Prices are on the high side for the service, a 6 at best. Seems like a top down problem.
To be honest, not really that great
by adamsca
August 20, 2006
Pros: The atmosphere is nice, place looks hip but that is pretty much it.
Cons: Service. The waitress and staff want you out of there so they can serve the next round of diners. Price. This place is also pricey for the amount of food they serve you.
Overall, for a nice looking restaurant, there is definitely room for improvement.
- Pros: Location
- Cons: Too pretentious. Service needs improvement.
Worst service I've ever encountered
by kategoheen
August 02, 2006
My boyfriend and I wanted to have a drink at A Cote last Saturday. We arrived at about 10:45. We watched various staff members walk back and forth without making any eye contact with us, and after 5 minutes or so the hostess appeared and told us it would be a few minutes. A group of 4 came in soon thereafter, and we all stood in the doorway watching the staff bustle around empty tables. We could see open tables for one big and 2 small parties. Again, no staff members would look at us- they were so busy doing whatever it was that they were doing, which was clearly not serving customers. After about 10 more minutes, my boyfriend stopped a passing waitress and she curtly said, "The hostess will be with you shortly." At that point we left.
I will NEVER go here again and whole-heartedly disrecommend it.
Flex those Mussels
by ediblecomplex
June 13, 2006
This place was the winner pertaining to dinner contemplations after reading reviews and perusing the online menu briefly, and suffice it to say we were not disappointed. Seating took nearly an hour but it was well worth the wait. Baby arugula with Rinier cherries, almonds and smoked chicken was a nice starter; initially the chicken was a bit heavy on the smoky flavor but the peppy arugula was able to temper it after several bites.
We couldn't have asked for a better warm starter- mussels roasted to perfection with a whisper of Pernod was rich but not weighty, and the crostini accompanying them made a nice contrast to the toothy mollusks; if only they absorbed the wonderful juices from the bowl better! I think they should serve that dish with soup spoons- the lingering liquid was just as good as the shelled contents! Next up was flatbread with crimini mushrooms, spinach and caciotta al Tartufo, another winner with flavors all marrying well and the flatbread was wonderfully crispy at the edges.
The pancetta wrapped roast quail with morel mushroom bread pudding was a bit of a let down following the outstanding mussels, but it was not bad per-se. It just didn't have the same charisma to keep the momentum of the meal going. We opted for the peach gratin with buttermilk ice cream instead of something heartier as the meal was very close to overwhelming, even for two voracious appetites. The dessert also wasn't a show-stopper, but the buttermilk ice cream certainly did help it along.
Wine pairing was settled with their only true cabernet sold by the glass, and it was interesting to say the least- not to be read as bad, but the beginning and finish were quite different from each other- we didn't bother venturing further down the list.
To say we would return is mildy stating it- I'm daydreaming of their mussels right now. The only thing that keeps me from returning every night is that my gym membership hasn't been used in quite some time...
- Pros: food, service
- Cons: long wait for a table
You get what you pay for
by Andreotti
February 15, 2006
We tried a little bit of everything, taking advantage of the suggested wine pairings and the recommendations of our fabulous waiter. It was crowded, but we waited at the bar. The food was nearly all delectable, except for a beef/noodle dish. We enjoyed the whole atmosphere and experience!
- Pros: Service, Ato
